Lightning-rod terminal.



o.. 895,916. PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908. J.P.TURNER. LIGHTNING ROD TERMINAL.

ABPLIOATION FILED AUG. 20, 1907.

WITNESSES INVENTOH I I Mm w- W mq A TTOHNE Y8 JOHN P. TURNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIGHTNING-ROD TERMINAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed August 20, 1907. Serial No. 389,343.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Rod Terminals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription. This invention is an improved ground terminal for lightning rods, and has for an object primarily to provide for the speedy dissipation of the current, whereby danger of the rod being overcharged and melted is avoided. This object I accomplish by passing the rod through a substantially horizontally disposed tapering perforated body filled with charcoal and having branch conductors leading from its enlarged end. The perforations in the body permit the water to seep through, maintaining the terminal in a high state of conductivity.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of my improved terminal which is embedded in the ground; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical central section of the same; and Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The terminal comprises a perforated hollow body 5 constructed of some conducting material, as sheet copper, and provided at opposite ends with inwardly dished heads 6, the sides of said heads being bent upon themselves to tightly embrace the edges of the body 5, as shown in Fig. 2. The body 5 uniformly tapers throughout its length and is preferably triangular in cross section with its v small end arranged at the forward part of the terminal.

As will be observed from Fig. 3, the perfo rated ortion of the body 5 is cut out or removecFat the bottom in the direction of the terminals length, and is replaced by an im perforate plate 7 of copper or other conducting sheet metal, having the sides thereof reversely bent for embracing the op osed edges of the perforated portion of the ody. The body is filled with pulverized charcoal 5* and is provided in substantial contact with the plate 7 with a longitudinal centrally arranged tube 8 which passes the full length of the body through both heads 6 and extends some distance beyond the small or forward head. Through this tube passes a lightning rod 9, the latter being pressed against the bore of the tube in advance of the bod 5 by a set-screw 10 which is threaded through a collar 11, the said collar being carried on the tube eXteriorly thereof.

At the opposite sides of the enlarged dished heads 6 are brazed, or otherwise suitably secured, branch conductors 12 which relieve the rod and the body of a portion of the charge, and assist them in diffusing the current into the ground. The moisture in the ground over the terminal will be shed to the opposite sides of the body 5, in view of its triangular construction, where it will pass into the perforations and seep through the charcoal, maintaining the latter in a high state of conductivity. The charcoal will at all times be especially moist around the tube 8 since the water will be prevented from escaping by reason of the imperforate portion 7 of the base. Y

The tapering construction of the body 5 obviously has the effect of disseminating or spreading the current over a greater .area as t e current passes in the direction of its enlarged end, and also gives an increased contact with the ground in which the terminal is embedded, both of which contribute to facilitate the passage of the current into the ground.

The terminal as shown and described while being my. preferred practical embodiment of the same may be modified in the details of construction without de arting from the nature of the invention as (l lined in the claims annexed.

Having thus described claim as new and Patent:

1. A terminal comprising a tapered perforated body of sheet metal filled with carbon and having branch conductors leading from the opposite sides of its enlarged end, said body having a base provided with a longitudinally arranged imperforate plate forming the central portion of the base, a tube passing through said body in substantial contact with the imperforate plate, a light ning rod passing through the said tube, and a collar carried by said tube in advance of said body, having a setscrew for forcing the rod into contact with the bore of the tube.

2. A terminal comprising a perforated hollow body of sheet metal filled with carbon, a conducting tube passing longitudinally my invention, I desire to secure by Letters through saidv body, a lightning rod passing through the tube, and means for forcing the rod into contact with the bore of the tube.

3. A lightning rod. terminal comprising a perforated hollow conductor, a conducting tube passing longitudinally through said body with the side thereof in contact with a i longitudinal wall of the hollow conductor, and a lightning rod passing through the tube having contact therewith.

lightning rod passing through the tube, and branch conductors leading from the body.

5 A terminal comprising a tapering perforated body of sheet metal substantially horizontally disposed and having an iniperforate ing through the tube, and branch conductors leadin lrom the enlar ed rear end of the bed b 6. A terminal COIIlPllSlIlg a hollow conductor lilled. with a carbonaceous material, a conducting tube in contact with one of the longitudinal walls of the conductor, and a '-l'. A terminal comprising a tapering pertol rated body of sheet metal substantially horizontally disposed and 01 triangular cross 1 section, a tube passing longitudinally through the body in substantial contact therewith, a

lightning rod passing into the tube in substantial contact therewith.

ln testimony whereol l have signed my name to this specl'lication 1n the presence ol two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. 'lUliNElt.

Witnesses: V n

Tnoiuixs J. ll'imvrnr, James M. OUoNNon. 

